The Importance of Taking Time Off in Your Business: 3 Ways to Make It Happen

There was a time, when I first started ClientAttraction.com, that I planned out my schedule the way I wanted to live my life. So, I made it a point to set up my business so that I'd take a full day off per week, a week off per month and at least one month off per year- approximately 18 weeks of vacation per year. (Everybody needs down time to succeed.) And for a while, that was my life, until I got busier and busier and started multiplying my income, and then hired full-time employees who counted on me to be there and drive this train.

Can you relate?

Well, this is now the second consecutive year that I’ve recommitted to taking the full month of August off to unwind from a super-busy year, re-charge my batteries, re-connect with loved ones and friends I don't often see and to feed my soul with some playtime, deep reading, writing like this which I love to do, and just "being." Everyone needs downtime. First, vacation is good for your health and research has shown it lowers the risk of heart disease for both men and women. Second, people who take vacations for at least one week, say they experience an 82% increase in job performance after time off.

It’s also an amazing opportunity to do some BIG planning, learning, thinking, and dreaming of the future of my business. What I've learned in my own journey is that the big breakthrough ideas almost always come when you SLOW DOWN and de-clutter the mind to let inspiration come in. Exciting, to say the least.

My team has been wonderful in helping me set up systems that allow me to take this time away and I always encourage my clients and students to do the same in their own business. When you schedule time off for yourself, you feel rested and have so much more energy to devote to your business. Let’s face it; people don’t want to do business with an overworked and cranky business owner. That’s just not attractive to new clients or your current clients either.

So how can you make it happen? Here are my 3 tips to ensure you take time off every year

1. Plan out your schedule for a full 12 months.

When you’re self-employed, you can make whatever schedule you’d like. You’re in charge. Figure out how many hours you want to work every week or month, and then plan around it. For me, the goal is to take a full month off every year, in addition to several other weeks, one at a time. Depending on your own needs and desires, you may want to aim for two weeks per year or perhaps one week every single month. Anything is possible if you plan ahead.

Designate days in your calendar that are set aside for clients, for business development and marketing, and then for vacation. Commit to following this plan and following through especially on your relaxation time.

2. Educate your clients and your team.

Be sure that your clients are well educated on what your availability is and stick to this schedule. For the most part, people like rules and respect firm boundaries. Once clients know how and when to access you, they will adhere to that. I let all of my clients know up front that I am not available to them during the months of August and December. It’s in all of my new-client material and because they know this up-front it is never an issue.

It’s also very important to educate your team. The ins and outs of my schedule and how to manage my calendar have actually become part of our company culture. The team knows my availability and it’s become a non-negotiable aspect of how we do business. Getting buy-in from your team is absolutely crucial for success.

3. Put systems in place.

Systematizing your business is one of the smartest things you can do to free yourself up. When your team knows exactly what to do, when to do it and precisely how you would want it to be done, your business can run like a well-oiled machine. And more importantly, having reliable, documented systems in place allows your business to run this way without you being there all the time. This is what I've done in my own business at ClientAttraction.com and I know from experience that it works.

Set yourself up for success. Then, give yourself this precious gift of time and watch your business—and your life—flourish.

I’m Fabienne Fredrickson, founder of Client Attraction , ranked on the Inc. 500/5000 List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies in 2011 and 2012. I believe that entrepreneurs are catalysts for creating positive change in the world. Because of this, I believe it i...